Knitting machine



Aug. 27, 1940. MCADAMS 2,213,143

KNITTING MACHINE Original Filed June 20. 1936 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 F IG. 1. 5 6 3/7 3/5 54 7 f o :TP240 m 2Z6 no /a/ D I: x 4.50 I 7 W 41 5 e 3 1" 3 j 0 o r I' Z; 6 F 7 35 o Z I) INVENTOR.

BM %7 M ATTORNEYS.

7, 1940- H. M ADAMS 2,213,143

KNITTING MACHINE Original Filed June 20, 1936 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 2.

INVENTOR.

Hal F 1 M Ada rLE.

BY'Z I ATTORN EYS.

H. M ADAMS Aug. 27, 1940.

KNITTING MACHINE Original Filed June 20, 1936 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS.

KNITTING MACHINE Original Filed June 20, 1936 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR.

ATTORN EYS.

Aug. 27, 1940.

H. MCADAMS 2,213,143

KNITTING MACHINE Original Filed June 20. 1936 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 INVENTOR.

H ar'r' M AEI ams ATTORNEYS.

Patented Aug. 27, 1940 PATENT OFFICE KNITTING MACHINE Harry McAdams, Reading, Pa., assignor to The Nolde and Horst Company, Reading, Pa., a. corporation Original application June 20, 1936, Serial No.

86,420. Divided and this application November 11, 1937, Serial No. 174,099

1 Claim.

This invention relates to improvements in knitting machines.

The present application is a division out of my co-pending application Serial No. 86,420, filed June 20, 1936.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of a knitting machine with improved means for manipulation of yarns in a machine adapted to knit seamless stockings in stringwork.

further object of the invention is the provision of an improved knitting machine adapted to knit seamless stockings in stringwork having improved means for the feeding of and guiding and manipulation of a splice yarn; the machine being of the dial and cylinder rib knitting type.

further object of the invention is the provision of improved binding and cutting means for the yarns of a cylinder and dial type'of rib knitting machine.

A further object of this .invention is the provision of a sinker ring construction in a knitting machine having improved yarn guiding and controlling and sinker controlling means associated in a cooperative relation therewith.

Other objects and advantages of this, invention will be apparent during the course of the following detailed description.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improved knitting machine.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the improved knitting machine with a portion of the head ofv the knitting machine proper removed.

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view taken through the dial-and cylinder construction of the knitting machine, showing associated details.

Figure 4 is a developed view showing the cylinder needle, jack, and dial needle control finger lay-out of the knitting machine, and associated cam and other yarn controlling parts as they will appear during the knitting of plain knitted work upon the improved rib machine.

Figure 5 is a top plan view of my improved sinker cam cap, showing associated therewith an improved splice yarn control member which is used during rotary knitting to guide the splice yarn out of the way of the dial and dial needles.

Figure 6 is a bottom plan view of the sinker cam cap.

Figure 7 is a bottom plan view of the dial cap,

showing the cam arrangement.

In the drawings, wherein for the purpose of 10 illustration are shown preferred and modified embodiments of the improved knitting machine and the details thereof, the letter A may generally designate the improved knitting machine.

It includes a frame B having a rotary cylinder C and a. dial D. Drive means E is provided for driving the cylinder C and bed of the dial D, and for operating a pattern control drum arrangement F and a pattern chain G. A set H of dial needles is provided and also a set K of cylinder needles. Selective means L is provided for operating the dial needles for various purposes.

The frame B of the machine includes a cabinet portion within which the drive mechanism of the machine is mounted. The frame is sup- 25 ported upon suitable legs 26 or in other manner and it has a top table 21 which supports the cylinder for vertical movement.

The cylinder C is longitudinally slotted on the outer surface thereof for reciprocably receiv- 30 ing needles and jacks therein; the needles being mounted in the upper part of the cylinder and the jacks in the slots below the needles in the usual manner. An anti-friction bearing construction 30, shown in Figure 3 of the drawings,

has a race 3| directly supporting the lower end of the cylinder C. The cylinder and dial are driven as described in my parent application Serial No. 86,420, filed June 20, 1936.

The top construction of the cylinder is rather conventional. It includes a top ring 50, for slidably supporting the sinkers 5|. The sinker control arrangement further includes the sinker or web holding bed 52 which is keyed at 53 to the cylinder. The sinker cam ring 54 is mounted on the bed and of course is provided with movement limiting lugs 290 thereon, best shown in Figures 5 and 6 of the drawings, located at opposite sides of the usual stop post 29!. The

sinkers 5| are of general construction and need not be further described, since their nature, function and construction is well understood in the art to which this invention relates. Reference in this connection may be made to U. S. Patent #1,467,691. The sinker cam ring 54 has an an- 55 nular channel in the undersurface thereof, in which the butts of the sinkers ride. In this channel the sinker cam ring 54 is provided with a sinker withdrawing cam 60 and sinker advancing cams GI and 62. The advancing cams 6| and 62 are pivoted at their proximate ends at 63 and are adapted to be retracted at difierent opures 3 and 5 of the drawings.

erations throughout the knitting of the stocking. Means is provided to move the advancing cams 6| and 62 comprising a circumferentially movable ring 65 socketed in an annular channel in the top of the cam ring 54, as is shown in Fig- This ring 65 is provided with cams 65a, slotted to receive pins 61 of the cams 6| and 62 and having throw portions 65' to move the cams GI and 62 to a retracted position. Cams GI and 62 are advanced and retracted as the ring 65 is reciprocably moved in its channel on the sinker cam ring 54. A spring 64 normally maintains the cams 6| and 62 in sinker advancing position.

Referring now to the pattern control drum arrangement F, with reference to Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings it will be seen that this drum arrangement is compactly located at the rear of the machine in an easily accessible and convenient location. It essentially consists of a shaft 15 rotatably supported and connected by brackets 16 to the frame of the machine; one of the brackets 16 being located intermediate the ends of the shaft I5 to give it central support. The drum arrangement includes the drum F and the drum F" and on these drums a circumferential series of lugs are provided for operating the various levers and parts of the machine. A compact and accessible arrangement of levers includes a shaft 11 which is pivotally supported by the brackets I6 of the machine; said shaft extending parallel with the drum and at a location between the drums and the cylinder, and on a level approximately in a line tangent to the top of the drums. On this shaft 11 are located bell crank levers which are pivoted'for oscillative action thereon; the said bell crank levers having arm portions which operate at their ends on lugs on the drum, the opposite ends of said levers extending substantially vertical and having rod attachments with the different features of the machine to be operated. With reference to the sinker cam control ring 65 immediately above described, one of the levers I9 of the shaft 11 has the upper end of its vertical arm supporting a connecting rod the opposite end of said connecting rod 80 being attached in a suitable opening 82 provided in the ring 65 (see Figures 2 and 5). Rocking of the lever IS incident to operation off the drum F" will cause movement of the ring 65 and throw the cams BI and 62 into retracted position.

The pattern drums are controlled and driven as described in my above identified parent application.

Referring to the dial construction D and the selective means L for operating the dial needles thereof, a very compact bracket or yoke construction is provided for supporting the dial mechanism over the cylinder in such manner that all of the parts of the same are readily ac-' cessible and so that the dial may be moved to an out of the way position with respect to the cylinder. This bracket or supporting yoke construction for the dial is generally of inverted U- shape formation. It includes a stationary bracket I00, at the left side of the machine, bolted at IIII to the machine bed 21 and extending upward diagonally towards the cylinder to a point about even with the top of the cylinder, where it pivotally supports at I02 a dial supporting arm I04. This arm includes a portion I which really forms an extension of the bracket arm I30 and is inclined diagonally towards the cylinder when the dial is placed over the cylinder. It further includes the horizontal supporting portion I06 which lies horizontally over the cylinder, as shown in Figure 1. The yoke construction for supporting the dial further includes the bracket arm I01 mounted on the bed of the machine at the opposite side from the bracket I00, as shown in Figure 3 of the drawings, and which extends diagonally upward, inclined towards the cylinder and at its upper end is adapted to receive the free end of the dial supporting arm I04 in resting relation thereon; an adjusting screw I08 being provided on the end of the arm I04, for

abutment with the upper end of the arm I01, to n regulate the spacing of the dial above the cylinder when in knitting position.

The dial is supported from the yoke by a depending pin construction as specifically described in my above identified parent application.

The dial construction includes the bed II B and the stationary dial cap I29. This dial cap is in the form of a ring so that the lower ends of the dial needle actuating fingers I30 (comprising part of the selective means L for operating the dial needles) may engage the said dial needles either at the rear ends thereof or on special butt arrangements which may be provided on the dial needles in order to move them for accomplishing various operations.

Referring now to the dial bed construction I I8, as is shown in Figure 3 of the drawings, the same is provided with slots I3I which reciprocably receive the needles I32 of the set H of dial needles.

The dial needles I32 are of the nature and construction set forth in my co-pending application Ser. No. 68,526, filed March 12. 1936, now Patent No. 2,111,476. They each include a body portion I35 having a shoulder I35 intermediate its ends behind the points where the latch closes.

The needle has the usual hook end latch. Immediately rearwardly of the shoulder the body I35 is laterally recessed upwardly from the lower edge thereof. Facing this recess is a spring arm I38 which at its fore end is free of direct attachment to the needle and is provided with a lip I39 adapted to fit in the recessed portion I40 in the lower edge of the needle. The arm I38 is spring bowed as shown in Figures 9 and 11 of the drawings and faces the concaved recess I31 in the body of the needle to provide an eye which is vertically disposed when the dial needle is positioned in the dial bed. The head of the cylinder needle may readily slip into this opening notwithstanding that the cylinder needle is directly opposite the line of travel of the dial needle. The lip I39 prevents the stitch catching in the eye.

The dial cap I29 is best shown in Figures 3 and '7 of the drawings. It has a central opening I42 to receive the lower ends of the dial actuating fingers I30. The dial needles are initially projected by the fingers I30 both for transferring stitches from dial needles to cylinder needles and at a second location to receive yarns when they are used in connection with the cylinder needles for knitting rib work. The dial cap I29 is provided with the dial needle butt receiving groove I44 which receives the dial needles when they are inactively positioned. The dial needles are projected into stitch transfer position by a cam I45, comprising part oi the dial cap, when the butts of the needles I2 are thrown into the groove I46 surrounding this cam. Normally, the butts of the dial needles travel inactively in the groove I44. The dial needles are projected so that their butts will engage the cam I45 by the dial. needle selector fingers I30. The opening I42 in the cap is widened at I41'to enable the lower ends of the fingers I30 to push the dial needles so their butts will engage against the cam I45. In the dial cap a second cam I50 is used to project the dial needles into yarn receiving relation for knitting rib work. The central opening I42 of the dial is cut away at II so as to enable the fingers I30 to project the butts of the dial needles into engagement with the cam I50.

The dial needles .are projected by pivoted fingers I30. At their upper ends the fingers I30 may be provided with any desired arrangement of butts thereon. In the example shown in the drawings substantially one half of the members I 30 are provided with butts I30 at an upper level and the remainder of the said dial needle control members I30 have butts I 30 at a lower level; The upper level butts I30 are arranged, as shown in Figure 4, over substantially one half of the short butt cylinder needle section and substantially one half of the long butt cylinder needle section.

The set K of cylinder needles includes longbutt needles 230 and short butt needles 23I. Be low alternate long butt needles 230 there are provided jacks 232 having longbutts at a lower level, and below alternate short butt needles there are provided jacks 233 having short butts at a lower level. Long butt jacks 234 have long butts at an upper level. They are positioned in an alternating relation with the cylinder needles, and similarly jacks 235 having short butts at the upper level (complementary to the jacks 234) are provided in alternating relation below the cylinder needles. These short butt upper level jacks 235 are spaced across the division line of the long and short butt needles, that is, half of them .are in the long butt needle section and half of them in the short butt needle section, and that is also true for the upper level long butt jacks 234, for a purpose which will be subsequently described. It should be noted in this connection that the upper level short butt jacks 235 are located below cylinder needles which are inactive during rib knitting and which receive stitches from the dialneedles actuated by those dial needle actuating fingers I30 having the butts I30 thereof at the lower level.

The frame bed 21 of the machine has a cam supporting ring or table 240, which is spaced above the bed 21 so that access may be had to cams or operating features which may be placed between the table 240 and the bed 21, shown in Figure 1. The table 240 supports main stitch cam block 244, shown in Figures 1 and 3 of the drawings; the widening pick attachment 430 shown in Figure 2 of the drawings, and other cam and cam operating levers to be subsequently described.

The machine is preferably provided with yarn feeds in the nature of the usual levers pivoted at 245 on the latch ring 246. This latch ring is bolt-ed at 241 upon the swinging arm I05 of the dial supporting structure I04 (see Figure 3) and the dial cap I29 is in turn bolted at 250 to the latch ring to hold it against rotation.

The five yarn feed fingers are used for feeding plating. plice, top, binding, and lining yarns to the needles. ,The finger 252 which feeds yarn for the knitting of the rib'top also is used to knit the heel and toe of the stocking. By reference to Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings it will be seen that these fingers 250 to 254 inclusive are swung into action by means of reciprocating push rods 256 (see Figure 1) supported by brackets 251 on the machine. These push rods 256 in turn are actuated by suitable levers 258, 259, 260, 26I and 262, for the fingers 250, 25I 252, 253 and 254 respectively. The levers 258 to 262 inclusive are pivoted on the shaft 11 and at their outer ends are raised by lugs on the drum F for throwing the push rods 256 into engagement with the respective yarn fingers.

At the location of transfer of the stitches from dial needles to cylinder needles a brush 264 is located for throwing the latches of the needles open.

It was before mentioned that the sinker cams 6| and 62 are opened and closed at different operations throughout the stocking. .Inasmuch as the sinker cap oscillates during reciprocation of the machine, as limited by the lugs 290 thereon engaging against the post 29I (see Figure 2), it will be desirable to hold the sinker ring 54 against movement when it is desired to advance the cam ring 65 for throwing the sinker cams 6I and 62 to an inoperative position. To that end a lever 293 is pivoted at 294 upon the machine, as shown in Figure 2, which is adapted to engage against an offset 295 on the sinker cam ring 54. The lever 293 is actuated off of the lever 295 and the latter is pivoted upon the shaft 11 and actuated oil of drum F. It is connected by means of a rod 296 with the lever 294 above described.

The frame of the machine is provided with a bobbin supporting table 300 rearwardly of the lever arrangement which operates off the lugs of the drums F and F". On this table are supported bobbins 30I for feeding the various yarns to the feed fingers 250 to 254 inclusive. Figure 1 shows the arrangement of yarns. Plating yarn is indicated at 302, the splice yarn is indicated at 303, the heel, toe and rib top yarn is indicated at 304, the binding or selvage yarn is indicated at 305 and the lining yarn is indicated at 306. All of these yarns except the yarn 304 are fed through appropriate tensioners 301 and then extend to their respective feed fingers 250 to 254 inclusive.

The rib top yarn 304, which is also used in knitting the heel and toe has the normal tensioner 308 operating thereon, and it is provided with means which places additional tension on the yarn when knitting the heel and toe. This means includes a conventional tensioner 3I0 having upper and lower plates between which the yarn passes. The lower plate is movably supported by an arm 3I5, shownin Figure 2 of the drawings, which is pivoted at 3I6 and normally spring urged at 3" into tensioning position. A connecting rod 3I9 is attached to the arm 3I5 and moves upwardly and downwardly to throw the tensioner into and out of action. The rod 3I9 is pivoted. at its lower end to alever 320 which in turn is pivoted at 32I upon a bracket of the frame of the machine, as shown in Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings. This lever 320 is connected by a rod 323 to one of the drum actuated levers 324. The drum actuating lever 324 is pivoted on the shaft 11 and lug actuated off the drum F in order to throw the yarn tensioner 3N into or out of yarn tensioning position. 7

Means is provided to hold the splice yarn in an out of the way relation with respect to the dial during knitting of the high splice heel and double sole during rotary knitting, since otherwise the splice yarn would become entangled with the dial and the dial needles. This splice yarn guard consists of a finger 340, shown in Figure 5 of the drawings, which has a curved end facing the splice yarn feed finger. This guard 340 moves into and out of position across the cylinder needle line, as shown in Figure 5. In the full line position shown in Figure 5 it is out of action, and in its dotted position it is across the cylinder needle line and in position to engage the splice yarn and guide and maintain it below the dial in an out of the way relation until the splice yarn is taken by the needles which are intended to take it during the next rotational movement. This guard finger 340 enters across the needle line at the knitting wave opening in the cylinder needle set directly above the low point in the stitch cast-oflf cam, as shown in Figure 4 of the drawings.

The splice yarn control finger 340 is mounted upon a movable supporting plate 34!, slotted at 342. A screw or pin 343 on the cam ring 54 supports the splice yarn guide member for reciprocatory movement into its operative and inoperative positions. A pin 344 assists in guiding the movement of the splice yarn guide. A spring 345 normally urges an edge of the guide 34! against the pm 344, and a spring 346 normally throws the yarn guide to an inoperative position as indicated in the full line view of Figure 5 of the drawings. Referring to Figure 2 of the drawings in conjunction with Figures 5 and 6 it will be noted that a lever 35!] is pivoted on the same pivot 294 as the lever 293; said lever 350 having a bifurcated end which engages a pin 35! on the splice yarn guide finger 340 for the purpose of advancing the splice yarn guide 340 into operative position as indicated in the dotted lines in Figure 5 of the drawings. This lever 35!] is operated oif of a lever 352 pivoted on the shaft 11, as shown in Figure 2.

An binder and cutter for cutting and holding the yarns is mounted upon the dial cap I29 of the machine. This binder and cutter is generally designated at 360 in the drawings. As shown in Figure 8 the binder and cutter includes a shaft 36! mountable by suitable brackets 362 on the dial cap !29. A binder arm 353 is spring urged downwardly by a spring 364 (spring shown broken oif) for holding yarns after they are severed, and a loose pivoted binder 365 cooperates therewith. The shaft 36! is provided with a cutter bar 366 which operates in a depression in the dial cap to sever the yarn. This cutter is normally spring urged into cutting position by a spring 368. An extension arm 310 on the cutter bar 366 engages the arm 363 to lift the latter when the cutter bar is moved to an open position. This extension 310 has a link 31! which is provided with an opening therein. The latch ring 246 is provided with a support 315 with which a yarn cutting operating lever 316 is pivoted as at 311; this lever 316 loosely extending into the link 31! for raising and lowering the cutter bar. The means for operating the lever 316 consists of a lever 380 shown in Figures 2 and 3 of the drawings, pivoted at 38! upon a suitable bracket mounted upon the latch ring; this operating lever 38!! having a pin at its free end adapted to operate onthe lever 316. The lever 38!! is bell cranked, and at its opposite end it has a connecting rod 384, extending for connection to one of the drum actuated levers 365 which are pivoted on the shaft 11 and actuated by lugs of! of the drum F.

Cylinder needle actuating cams M0, 4H, 3, and 4 are actuated off of levers 4!6 pivoted on the cam bed 240 of the machine. These cams H0, 4!!, H3 and M4 are respectively actuated off of drum actuated levers H8, H9, 420 and 42! which are pivoted upon the shaft 11 and are lug actuated off of the drum F"; the said bell crank levers M8 to 42! being connected by rods 422 with the various levers 6. A pair of jack actuating cams 425 and 426 are provided on the machine; the same being actuated off of levers 42! and 428 pivoted on the shaft 1'! of the machine and actuated off the drum F"; the actuation of these cams being accomplished in the same manner as the cams 4H1 to M4 above described. These cams 425 and 426 are located in the space between the table 240 of the machine and the bed 21.

All of the rest of the jack and needle actuating cams, except those above described, are stationary.

During knitting of the rib top the sinker cams 6| and 62 are thrown out of action. Briefly this is accomplished by holding the sinker cam ring 54 stationary through engagement of the lever 293, shown in Figure 2 of the drawings, with the ring, and the sinker cam retracting ring 65 is then rotated through its control oif the pattern drum. The slots 65 provided on this sinker retracting ring 65 operating on the pins 6'! will throw the .sinker cams 6! and 62 out of action, to the dotted line position shown in Figure 6.

The leg is knitted for the desired number of courses, according to the size of the stocking, and the splice yarn finger 25! is thrown into action at the start of knitting the high heel splice. As this splice finger 25! is thrown into action the splice yarn guide 340 above described is thrown into action to the dotted position shown in Figure 5 of the drawings in order to guide the splice yarn under the dial. This high splice section continues for about fifty coursesuntil we reach the heel pocket. Then the yarn 304 is thrown outof action and also guide 340.

Various changes in the shape, size, and arrangement of parts may be made to the form of invention herein shown and described, without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the claim.

I claim:

In a knitting machine a cylinder, a set of independent cylinder needles, a dial, a set of independent dial needles, means for actuating the cylinder and dial needles for knitting fabric including cam means for projecting and retracting the dial and cylinder needles to cast stitches therefrom, means for feeding yarn to a portion of the cylinder needles, a yarn guide slidably mounted for radial reciprocation into and out of the knitting wave of the cylinder needles for the purpose of engaging said yarn and preventing entanglement with the dial and dial needles, spring means normally urging said yarn guide member to an inoperative relation, and pattern controlled means for radially urging said reciprocal yarn guide into the knitting wave.

HARRY MCADAMS. 

